Pods: The Latest Los Angeles Wellness Trend We Don’t Hate

Meditation seem hard to you? Try curling up in a giant glowing egg. This and other pod-based wellness practices seem wacky, but they really work for calming, revving, measuring—whatever your body needs. See our list of pod-based therapies and what they can do for you.

Get Peaceful in the Somadome

Lie back and shut the dome atop you. Then for 20 minutes, listen as a voice guides you through meditations for romance, success, relaxation or other topics, while a faint glow of tinted light keyed to the topic (our love meditation was pink) flickers as you doze. We found it super-relaxing, and we were nicer to our S.O. when we got home. Coincidence? Only the Somadome knows for sure.

Monitor Your Muscle in the Bod Pod

You put on a swimsuit, tuck your hair into a swim cap and sit inside an egg-shaped, air-tight steel chamber that measures the mass and density of your body. It takes just a couple minutes—and there’s a window—so don’t worry about any “buried alive” scenarios. You get the results right away, and your super-smart tech will help you strategize your workout and wellness goals with your result. (Um, try the heavier weights already.)

Banish Muscle Pain in a Sensory Deprivation “Pod”

Does your back hurt? Are your shoulders tight? Are you jet-lagged or just feel like you are? Try an hour of floating in a sensory deprivation tank, in which a foot of water with mega-amounts of Epsom salts holds you in a relaxed floating position. At Pause Float Studio you can choose to listen to a guided meditation or just enjoy the quiet murmur of water. Post-float, we felt taller (thanks to our spine stretching out), calmer (similar to after really good nap) and our skin felt smooth and ultra-clean.

GET DETOXED IN A SAUNA POD

We love a hot sauna but loathe the pounding dehydration headache post-sweat. An infrared sauna pod closes over your body but leaves your head free—which means no more overheating. So what does it do? It uses infrared light to jack up your body’s temperature, which helps you sweat out toxins. And while it’s doing all the work, you can take a nap.